21-106: Topics in Pre-Calculus
- Attendance will not be taken in this class, however, it is expected that
you will attend class regularly. It is possible to achieve a pasing
grade, even to earn an A, without passing the threshold of the
classroom. But be aware that this is not at all probable, and that the
best investment you can make of your time is going to the classes and
recitations. If you miss a class it is your responsibility to find out
what was covered and whether any important announcements were made.
- The single most important thing that you should do is work out 125% of
the homework. Even if your schedule ensures that you can not turn it in
on time, you should do the assigned problems, along with an assortment
of unassigned problems, as a study aid. Collaboration on homework is a
good thing. You are encouraged to discuss the homework and to work together on
the problems, but each student is responsible for the final preparation of
his or her own homework
papers. For your own good,
this does not mean simply copying another's work; the object is
understanding, not penmanship.
- The course is a 5 unit mini-course, which nominally means that you should
expect to spend 10 hours per week on the material (3 in class, 2 in
recitation and 5 outside the classroom). The real time needed will vary,
of course, but if you find
that you are spending much more time than this, it is likely that you
are "spinning your wheels", and that you should seek help from any of
the various sources available to you: these include your instructor, the
learning
center, the tutoring center, and your fellow students.
- Like all mathematics, the material in the course cannot be learned
passively. However reasonable, simple, or rational you may find what you
read or hear, you do not understand it if
you cannot apply it yourself. Thus it is imperative that you test
yourself by doing problems. If you have difficulty with a problem, ask
your instructor or your fellow students about it; do not suppose that your difficulty
will cure itself without treatment.